Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem to share President Obama’s definition of “smarter.” Ten days ago Mr Obama declared that the Russian President’s military deployments in Syria were “doomed to fail” and the Kremlin was “going to have to start getting a little smarter.” Mr Putin then began sending fighter jets, and now it looks like Mr Obama is the one who has been taken to school.

Indeed.

In addition to the jets, Russia is sending T-90 tanks, howitzers, troop-transport and attack helicopters, a company of armed Marines, and further equipment to establish an air base near the coastal Syrian city of Latakia. Mr [Russian Minister of Defense Sergei] Shoigu describes the build-up as “defensive in nature.”

Kind of like the way we should be helping the Kurds in both Iraq and Syria.

Hmm….